Foot controlled wash fountain



April 9, 1946. H. G. MULLETT ETAL FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TORS ATTOR/VE vs.

April 9, 1946. H. G. MULLETT ET AL FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I N VEN TORS April 9, 1946. H. G. MULLETT EI'AL 2,393,149

FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIK Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 MQW A T TOR/V15 Y5 I 19456 H. G. MULLETT ET AL 2,393,149

FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 2,398,149 FOOT CONTROLLED WASH FOUNTAIN j Howard G. Mullett and Edward D. Wachter, Jr Whitefish Bay, Wis., assignors to Bradley Wash fountain 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 15, 1944, Serial No. 518,373

3 Claims.

The invention relatesto wash fountains and more particularly to those in which the water to the spray head for the fountain is controlled by a foot-operated valve.

The general object of the invention is to provide a foot-controlled valve mechanism of simple construction and one which may be readily used for fountains having the water supply coming in I either from below or above the basin and either for full circular or semi-circular type fountains. The invention further includes an improved arrangement for operating valves of the type shown in the prior U. S. Patent No. 2,243,957, of June 3, 1941, to H. E. Heine and Howard G. Mullett.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig, 2 is a plan view of a wash fountain havin the foot-control valve mechanism embodying the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a, detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical sectional view through the foot-controlled valve;

Fig. '7 is a View partly in section of a wash fountain having an overhead water supply and equipped with a foot-controlled valve mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through the drain connections for the fountain taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing certain modifications and taken on the line Il-Il of Fig. 12;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the modification shown in Fig. 11, parts being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l5 designates a pedestal and I6 a wash basin mounted thereon, both of these parts being formed of a suitable cement and stone composition, the pedestal having suitable handholes l'l formed therein and the basin having a centrally disposed hole 18 and an offset drain opening IS.

A spray head 20 provided with a series of spray openings 2! to direct the water outwardly and downwardly toward the side of the basin is supported above the basin on a hollow tubular support 23 mounted at its lower end in a counterbore 18' of the hole l8, these parts being secured in assembled position by a threaded tension rod 24 connected at its upper end by a nut 25 with a cap 25 engaging the spray head and at its lower end operatively connected by a nut 21 with a transversely disposed bar 28 which spans the hole 18,

The opening l9 has a suitable drain fitting 29 mounted therein connected with a drain pipe '30. The spray head 20 is supplied with water through a supply pipe 3| connected to a shut off valve structure 32 which receives its water from a volume control valve structure 33 which in turn receives a supply of tempered water from a mixture control valve 34 which proportions the water entering from a hot water pipe 35 and a cold water pipe 36. The mixture control valve and the volume control valve have notbeen shown in detail but may be of any suitable or well known'construction, and these valves have the operator controlled handles 31 and 38 connected to them, so that by turning the handle 31 the position of the volume control valve relative to its seat may be regulated to.control the amount of temperedwater delivered to the pipe 3!, and by turning the handle 38 the position of the mixture valve may be regulated to control the relative amount of hot and cold water forme ing the tempered water supply for the pipe 3|.

The shut ofi valve is one of the flush valve type with an adjustable closing period, the one shown in Fig. 6, as far as the valve details are concerned, being substantially the same as that shown in the prior U. S. Patent No. 2,243,957, to H. E. Heine and H. G. Mullett, of June 3, 1941, but the present design embodies an actuator for the valve operating member which can be operated in different angular positions. More particularly, the operating button 34 of the patent has been replaced by a short piston 39 and a headed shaft 40. The piston 39 is slidably mounted in theguide bore .41 of g a ring 42 which is seated in a recess 43 in'a cap 44 Which hasa flanged end 45 against which the disk head 4'! of the shaft .40 abuts, said cap having a tapered openingin said flanged end. With this construction pulling or pushing on the outer end of the shaft 40. causes its disk head 4'1 to act as a lever engaging at one point of the end 45 and swinging about this point and thus exert- I ing an inward thrust on the piston 39 causing it to-flex the diaphragm and to open the pilot valve 25' against the action of the spring 25' and thus permitting the pressure of the water in the inlet 5' acting on the valve 23' to open the same and allow water to pass to the outlet 6, all as more particularly described in the aforementioned patent.

In the type. of installation shown in Fig. 1 the water supply comes in from below while in the form shown inFigs. 7 to 10 the water supply comes from above the basin. In this form the pedestal;

baEInspray head, the tubular support,,the mixing valve, volume control valve, and shut off valve are the same as in the first described construction and have been similarly designated. The valves 34, 33, and 32 are, howeverTa-bove the basin and connect with the supply pipe 3| which connects with the spray head 20 at 49, the other opening in said spray head being closed by a pipe plug50. Also the drain opening I9 in the base has the drain. 29 connected with a trap fitting 5| that connects with the drain pipe 52. The trap fitting 5| has. an upwardly projecting vent pipe 53 connected. to it at an intermediate point, and this vent pipe carries a clamping collar 54 provided with set screws 55 which bears upon the top of the spray head and holds saidspray head and the support 23 inposition relative to each other and to the basin.

InEigs. 11 and 12 a semi-circular type of washfountain is shown in which both the pedestal 56 and the basin 5'! are designed. to have a wall portion 58. that abuts the wall of a building, and the spray head. 20 is mounted on this basin in the same Way as in the first described construction by the hollow support 23, rod 24, nut 25, cap 26, nut 21, and bar. 28, the opening 59 in the basin in which the. support 23 is mounted being centrally located relative to the peripheral portion of the basin,v As in. the first. described constructionthe. spray headizll is supplied with water by the pipe. 3|. which. is supplied. through thevalves 32, 33,. and 34. from the hot and cold. water pipes 35 and 3,8,. the, valves 33. and. 34 having the controls 31 and 38. The drain passage from thebasin ishere shown connected withv a trap 60 connecting with-thewastepipe 61..

In all three types of, installationthe foot controlled mechanism for operating. the. valve 32 is generally similar. In each instance. a center pin 62. is mounted on or formed" integral with an anchor plate 6.3. that is secured, to the floor or foundation. by screws 64 or other suitable anchor bolts.

In. the forms shownin Figs. 1 to ID the foot control mechanism including. a treadle rail 65 formed of wood, metal,.or other suitable material and here shown asmade of wood, is carried at the outer ends of a series of radially disposed levers 66,v the. preferred form of. joint being. shown in Fig. 3. as including a screw 61', a metal washer 68, and a. pair of. rubber blocks or sleeves 59 by which depression of. the ring 65 will move the outer ends of the levers 66 downwardly atithe same time allowing. a limited amount. of. relative movement between the. ring and levers to compensate for the arcuate path of movement. of. the lever. Also the lever 66 may be forked. to engage the foot. rail as shownin Fig. 1. of U. S. Patent No. 1,574,700, to L. Schlesinger et al., of. February 23,1926, andithis latter construction ispreferred where the foot rail is a rubber covered metal rail.

Each. lever 66 is formed from. av single piece of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and here shown asmade. of wood, having av fulcrum boss 10 and a forked inner end H to engage a pin 12 removably mounted in the sides 13 of one of the sockets 14 formed in the lever guide 15 which is vertically slidably mounted on the center post 62 and is normally held in its lowered or valve open position by a spring 16 interposed between said guide and a cap 11 held in position by a cotter pin 18 mounted in said post. Each lever 66 projects through a slot or hole 19 formed in the base of the pedestal l5, and its fulcrum is held against the lower side of said slot by a compression spring. 80, It will be understood that the fulcrum boss of the lever may engage with any suitable flat surface, for example, the floor or foundation on which the pedestal is mounted if found more convenient for installation purposes. Accidental release of the forked end of each lever 66. from its pin 12 is prevented by a pin 8| vertically mounted in the forked portions of said lever.

The lever guide 15 has a boss 82 formed at one cornerhaving a vertically disposed hole 83 therein in Which-a rod 84 is loosely mounted, said rod having a bent end 85 engaging said bossv and threaded at its upper end 86 to receive nuts 81 and 88. The threaded end 86. extends loosely through a slot 89 in one end of a lever 90 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 9| carried by the forked upper end 92 of the post 62. A spring 93 surrounding the rod and interposed between said lever guide and said lever 90 holds these parts in assembled relation and acts to transmit the lifting force of the guide 15' to the lever 90.

The other end of the lever 90 has a hole 94 therein to receive the bent or hooked end of a link rod 95 connecting said lever to the shaft 40 of the shut off valve 32, the connection with said shaft being effected by passing the end of the rod loosely through a slot or hole in the shaft and placing a rounded end stop sleeve 95 on said rod endso. as to bear against the flattened end 91 of the shaft 40' and be secured in position by a set screw 98.

In the form shown. in Figs. 1 and 2 the link rod 95 is relatively short and. operates entirely within the hollow of the pedestal while in Figs. 7 to 10 the rod 95 extends upwardly through the hollow support 23 and the opening 99 inthe spray head 20 and through a passage I00 in the collar 54..

The foot control mechanism shown in Figs. 11 and 12 is identical with that shown in Fig. 1 except that the half ring rail 65' is pivotally mounted at its ends I01 on studs I02 mounted in the pedestal 56 and only one lever 66 is used'to operate the guide 15, All similar parts have been similarly referenced.

With these constructions when the operator presses down on the rails 65 or 55' at any point along their length, lever or levers will be swung downwardly at their outer. end or ends, and their inner end or ends will swing upwardly causing an upward movement of the guide 15 on the post 62 against the action of the spring 16 and through the spring 93 causing a swingingmovement of the lever 90 so as to pull down on the link rod 95 in either of the forms andv thus cause the shaft 40 to be canted. downwardl at its outer end and its disk 4-! to fulcrum at one, point on the flange 45' to push the piston 35' inwardly to operate the pilot valve 26 and as a consequence the shut off valve 23' which remains open so long as the foot rail or treadle is down. When the operator takes his foot off the treadle 65' or 65', the spring 16 returns the foot operated. mechanism to itsv initial position, and the spring 25 returns the valve parts to their closed position. During the return of these parts to initial position the rod 84 may act as a tie between the guide 15 and the lever 90 so as to bring the lever 90 to its initial position. The spring 95 permits a certain amount of overtravel of the guide 15 relative to the lever 90.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a treadle mechanism, the combination of a shaft having a disk-shaped head, an operating piston engaged by said head, a casing for said piston engaged by said head and forming a fulcrum support, a foot treadle, a post, a lever guide slidably mounted on connecting said treadle with said guide, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said post, a link operatively connecting said shaft with said last named lever, and a yielding drive connection between the other end of said lever and said lever guide.

2. In a treadle mechanism, the combination of a foot rail, a plurality of levers operatively connected at their outer ends to said footv rail, piv otally supported intermediate their ends and having forked inner ends, a guide member connecting all of said levers together for simultaneous movement having a socket portion for each lever,

said post, a lever operatively transverse pins mounted on the walls of said socket portions and engaging the forked ends of said levers, a fixed post on which said guide member is slidaoly mounted, a lever pivotally mounted on said post, an oscillatory member, a link operatively connecting said oscillatory member with one end of said last named lever, and a yiekiiaraiy" I drive connection between the other end of lever and said guide member.

3. In a treadle mechanism, tlmcombination of an oscillatory member, a foot-rail, a plurality of levers operatively connected at their outer ends to said foot rail, piv6tal1y supported intermediate their ends and having forked inner ends, a guide memberconnecting all of said levers together for simultaneous movement having a socket portion for each lever and an ofiset boss, transverse pins mounted on the walls of said socket portions and engaging the forked ends of said levers, a fixed post on which said guide member is slidably mounted, a lever pivotally mounted on said post, a link operatively connecting said oscillatory member with one end of said last named lever, a rod extending between said boss and the other end of said lever, and a spring mounted on said rod and engaging said boss and said lever to transmit an opening motion to said last named lever,

HOWARD G. MULLEFIT. EDWARD D. WACHTER, JR. 

